I don't own anything that you might recognize. If you are Irish or of Irish descent, please excuse my attempt at writing in the Irish brogue of Sheamus/Stephen Farley.

The bar was rollicking and loud, just the way Ranielle liked it. Setting her beer on the side of the pool table, she sank the last striped ball. The man she was playing groaned. Moving around the table, Rani set up her last shot. As the eight ball sailed into the side pocket she looked up at the television only to find her view blocked. "Hey, fella! Do ya mind? Some of us want ta watch the football game!"

"Football? You call that football?!" the tall ginger headed man exclaimed with incredulous indignation. "That is not football. That is some sort of poor American substitute for…"

"Blah, blah, blah." Rani cut the pale Irish man off as she grabbed the triangle and racked the balls. "You are in America, in an American bar. In fact, lad, you are solidly in Ravens territory. If you are going to be here you'd better be rooting for the purple and black to beat the Pats, not singing some song about the difference between soccer and football." She glanced up at him with a tiny grin making sure to watch his blue eyes turn glacier at the word 'soccer'. "Aw…Is someone getting angry?" she taunted as she reached for her beer.

He snatched the bottle and muttered for all to hear, "Tha' next match be mine." He stalked towards the bar and returned with four bottles and set two on each side of the table. At her raised eyebrow, he explained, "If ya gonna drink, drink right. It's Stellas." He snagged a stick and chalked the end of it. "What we playin' fa?"

"I've already won." Rani smirked. "I can see the television clearly now. No obstructed view." She took a large swig of Stella and broke the billiard balls. "I guess I am solids this time." she said with a laugh.

The Irish man positioned himself behind her, under the guise of eyeing up his ball. "Ah don't think ya gonna win this 'un darlin'. We talkin' terms?" She smiled confidently at him. He sank three striped balls in a row before coming back around to her side with his bottle of Stella. "Ready to talk?" he asked before swallowing half of the bottle.

"Nope." she said with confidence. "My team stands strong and so do I." Rani sank two balls in rapid succession before finishing her Stella. Ranielle held up three fingers, signifying she had three balls down. She split two, sending them into the corner pockets and held up all five fingers.

It didn't take long for the ginger to sink three more of his own. Leaning against the table at her side, the big man crossed his arms over his chest. "Ya know, ah only need one mo'."

"Yah, yah. Talk is cheap. Let's play." He moved so she couldn't see the television. "Not funny." she grumbled.

"No' bein' funny." he said with a smile. "Ah wan' a promise from ya'. When ah win, ya gonna…"

"I'm gonna what?" Ranielle moved to stand very close to him as she cut off what he was about to say. "There's no chance I'm going to lose so give me an idea of how to humiliate you, little boy." she whispered against his cheek. As he stuttered, she grabbed her pool cue and sunk another ball. "Tie game." She made a V with her pointer and middle fingers, sliding her tongue between her lips while she slid the cue along her fingers. She watched his eyes focus on the cue and then move up her arms…over…and up to her mouth. She traced her lips with her tongue again before mouthing, "Do you see something you like?"

Ranielle lined up her shot. She bent over the table. Hips pressed against hers and a hard length fit perfectly against her rear. Before she could utter a sound, one arm encircled her waist and another was under hers on the cue. His heavy Irish brogue filled her ear. "Best not miss the shot, eh?" Rani felt a tremble run through her body as she slid the cue back and suddenly thrust it forward. He guided it straight to the ball, sinking her shot. "Ach. Only ta' eight ball remains. What shall ye' git when ye' win?"

"What would you suggest?" Rani whispered.

She felt his goatee rub against the side of her neck. "We could debate American foot ball and real football." He slid his hand so his thumb was under her shirt and his other fingers were hooked in her belt loops. "Unless ya have anotha suggestion." he trailed off as he caught her ear lobe between his teeth.

"Aasss…"she hissed.

"Ya ready?" he asked. Spinning her in his arms he sat her on the edge of the table and picked up the black ball with a smile. "Last one." he whispered, moving to fit his manhood against her jean-covered female counterpart. Once they were snug and her head was tilted up to look at him, he sat the black billiard ball beside her butt.

Her arms encircled his neck. "Stephen…" He sent the eight ball sailing into the corner pocket. "Let's go home."

"As me lass wishes." he whispered against her lips before claiming her mouth for all to see and hauling her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clutched at his shoulders.

When the men in the area began to clap, the couple broke apart. Ranielle began to blush lightly and tucked her head into his neck before murmuring, "Ya still in an American bar, darlin'. Where's your purple and black?"

"Ah'm not wear'in no…" When the woman in his arms began to giggle, he trailed off and playfully glared at her before rubbing her behind. Knowing what this meant she wiggled against him, drawing a growl from deep in his chest. "Ya playin' with fire, dearie."

"Then get me home." She reached up to tug on the red hairs on his chin and spoke with a smile. "My football team has won the football game on the football field. I beat your ass on the billiard table. And now you need to take me to bed and make me scream."

Another growl rumbled, "I'ma gonna take ya home an show ya who's boss, lass. I'm tha man, here." His hands slid to her thighs as he tossed her over his shoulder, bringing a tiny squeal to her lips. "Not a pip." He lightly tapped her rear, snagged their two remaining Stellas and jackets and headed for the door. Once outside and out of the view of the other patrons, he lowered her feet to the ground and leaned her against the exterior wall. "Didja have fun wit ya lil' game?" His large thigh was pressed between hers. "An American football game? Ya left the house for an American football game?"

Ranielle wrapped her arms around his neck and lightly scratched the back of his head as she rubbed their noses together. "Laoch, you don't have the appreciation for our game and this one is huge. I wanted to be with people who love it like I do and have a shared hatred of the New England Patriots. Can't you understand? Consider your love of Liverpool…When they play Manchester…"

"Bite your tongue, woman!" With the free arm that he had around her waist he jerked her up against his warm body as he silenced her with another dominant, searing kiss. Her hands stopped scratching his head and threaded through his ginger-colored hair, holding on as he took possession of her mouth. When a sigh escaped from her lips, he released her but did not back away. He muttered, "Ya push mah damn buh-ttons on purpose don-cha? Each an' every time." He rested his forehead against hers. "An' ah fall for it."

Ranielle smiled against his lips and whispered, "All is fair in love and football, isn't it?"

"Ní arís!" He shook his head with a slight smirk, grasping her hand and pulling her not too gently towards the car. "Táimid ag dul abhaile anois!" Rani's laughter rang out through the parking lot. She knew just how far she had pushed her man and was thrilled at the prospect. Reaching the car, he tossed the jackets in the backseat and set the Stellas in the cup holder. "Ah canna' believe ah let ya manipulate mey this whey."

Ranielle realized she may have pressed a bit too far, curling into his body and kissing the base of his neck. "Don't be mad, Stephen. Please…" She felt his hips tilt forward a fraction so she slid her hand down to cup him through his jeans, earning a groan. "I wasn't meaning to manipulate you. Not really, anyway. Maybe torment a wee bit, but isn't it for both our benefits? We both get to…" Once her fingers framed him through the denim, he pulled her close and kissed her again.

"Get in the damn car." he breathed across her face. Rani sat in the passenger seat hard. The door slammed shut behind her. She watched the pale man stomp around the car and take his place in the driver's seat. It took him mere minutes to navigate the streets to the house in the small subdivision where they made their home. As soon as the car stopped in the garage, he gripped the steering wheel tightly and muttered, "I'll give you to the count of deich. Then all bets are off." Rani undid her seatbelt. "Ceann. Dhá." She had her door open and one foot out of the car. "You are slow tonight. Trí." Rani slammed her door shut and scooted across the front of the car. "Ceithre. Cúig." She heard him count with a chuckle as she shut the door to the house and locked it. "Sé." was growled just on the other side of the door. Rani took off at a run through the house, racing up the stairs as she heard the door bounce open behind her. "Seacht!" The door slammed shut and footsteps thundered through the house. Time was short. Ranielle began stripping as soon as she reached the bedroom. "Ocht!" Once naked, she crawled onto the bed. "Naoi." This word was counted with more deliberation and from the hallway outside the bedroom. She rolled over on the bed and grabbed the scrolled iron bars of the headboard and looked towards the door. "Deich." The sight of Stephen, not a stitch of clothing hiding his pale skin from her view, hands grasping the doorframe with his feet shoulder width apart caused Rani to drop her knees wide apart.

Rani saw Stephen's eyes zero in on his prize. His hands dropped and he was across the room before she could blink. The weight of his warm, muscled body fit perfectly against hers. Hip to hip, belly to belly, lip to lip. "Mianach." Stephen's possessive growl flamed Rani's desire. He grabbed her hips and slid home slowly. "Mianach. Yah mine. Mine, Ranielle."

With a soft sigh she moaned, "Is breá liom tú." He froze, staring into her eyes. "I do, Stephen. I love you."

"Again." He whispered against her lips.

"Is breá liom tú." she whispered back. He couldn't take it. He caught her knees under his massive arms and plowed into her body, thrusting into her with reckless abandon. Over and over and over again. She began to gasp for air, heading for the peak. Her eyes began to roll back in her head. Stephen pounded into her harder. Rani couldn't even scream as she came, her climax was so hard and so intense. Her muscles spasmed to the point that her legs locked around Stephen's waist and neither were able to move. Not that they wanted to…

When Ranielle began to care that her arms had fallen asleep, Stephen had shifted to his side. Realizing her problem, he untangled her fingers from the bars and massaged them gently. Kissing her bare shoulder Stephen whispered, "Yah know ah love yah too, dontcha?" Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. "An hearin' ya speak mah…Lass…Is breá liom tú. Is breá liom tú."

"I know what it does to you, Stephen. I know what it means. I love you. Is breá liom tú." Stephen gathered her into his strong arms and held her close to his chest, almost missing her mumbled, "Even if you don't know a damn thing about football."

"WOMAN!" he groaned good-naturedly.

ní arís – Irish for "not again"

táimid ag dul abhaile anois – Irish for "we are going home now"

mianach – Irish for mine

Is breá liom tú – Irish for "I love you"

deich – Irish for ten

ceann - one

dhá - two

trí - three

ceithre - four

cúig - five

sé - six

seacht - seven

ocht - eight

naoi - nine